Hurley slip up in rain away to league leaders

JUST one match survived the wet weather in the Chilterns League last weekend which saw HURLEY 2nds go down by seven wickets away to Division 4 league leaders KNOTTY GREEN 2nds.

With the main wicket being unfit to play on a new pitch was marked on an adjacent strip and for the second year running Hurley lost the toss and were asked to bat first on a wet Knotty Green track.

Openers Mike Cole and Mike Walton found life difficult with the ball behaving unpredictably. Only three runs had been recorded when Cole was adjudged lbw to Colin Blunden in the seventh over.

With the match being played in persistent drizzle, conditions were not at all conducive to good cricket as Abdullah Ali and Walton added 21 for the second wicket. Walton’s innings was brought to an end in curious circumstances. The batsman played at a wide delivery from Loki Patel which went to Jack Patel at slip. The batsman stood his ground believing he had hit the ball into the ground but on consultation between the umpires he was given out caught.

Greg Double looked in good nick before finding Nikesh Patel on the mid-wicket boundary. Josh Cole survived a confident appeal for a stumping before heavy rain forced the players from the field after 28 overs with Hurley struggling at 49-3.

Prospects for a resumption did not look good but with Knotty Green sitting at the top of the table and a victory looking very likely if play resumed, their captain would not agree to call the match off.

A rare lull in the rain around 5pm prompted the captains to agree to a restart despite the treacherous underfoot conditions. Hurley batted for another 10 overs finishing on 90-6.

With Knotty Green having 15 overs to chase down the total, there was only realistically going to be one winner. With the bowlers struggling to stay on their feet and fielders sliding in the outfield, the game was played to a conclusion with the hosts losing three wickets on their way to victory inside 14 overs.